An undocumented immigrant who recently graduated from the University of Connecticut will attend President Obama's State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. He's Lucas Codognolla, lead organizer of Connecticut Students for a Dream, which advocates for immigration reform and education equity for undocumented students.
"I'm still in disbelief," Codognolla said. "I'm getting more and more nervous as the time comes. As a political science major, being in the same room with all of the politicians I studied over the years, I'm nervous about meeting them."
Lucas Codognolla was invited to the speech by 4th District Congressman Jim Himes. Codognolla is the son of undocumented immigrants, and he hopes that this year, Congress will pass a measure that will ensure a path to citizenship for these people. "We're as close as we've ever been to having a permanent solution for the undocumented community," he said. "This year, we could get something done"
Each member of Congress is allowed to invite one guest to the State of the Union speech. Himes said he choose Codognolla to bring attention to Connecticut Students for a Dream, and to federal immigration reform, which he said is a "moral issue" for the United States.
